42.
1925:
Rapid City, Man. March 6, 1925
Dear Phelps,
I received the Tribune with the new Tribute last night.
I recognize your hand in every sentence all right.
But for goodness sake, tell me, how am I ever going to live
up to the report you spread about me? I feel that first of
all I must burn the three novels which I have started to
revise: some undertaking, by the way, three at a time. Surely,
they are not up to standard when you give me such a reputation.
But, joke apart, I feel that I am through
with the Pioneers;
and so I am revising three novels concurrently, leaving
all my new work for the time being, so as to get an idea
which of them I think I want to get into publishable shape
next. I have still five or six months of freedom before I
shall have to teach again - unless the W.R.L.H. appears in
the fall. If it does, I mean to give myself another holiyear.
I have one novel which I think I shall type out as it stands,
with only such changes as occur in the typing, dealing with
education in pioneer districts. Many locations and characters
from the W.R.L.H. are referred to in that novel. In rereading
the first chapters, it struck me that it follows the other
one just about as logically as Jude the Obscure follows Tess
of the D'Ubervilles. If I finish, that is, if I stick
to, the typing before summer, perhaps you'll have some time
during the holidays to glance through it and tell me what
you think of it?
By the way, even my brothers- and sisters-in-law
seem to conclude from your article that my work amounts to
something. So far they have failed to see anything in the
Drives or the Turn of the Year. Here in town people refer
to that article with a sort of bashfulness which makes me
feel as if I should feel ashamed. It seems they think I've
written that kind of thing myself.
Whenever I fell like printing out my last summer's photographs,
I shall send you some Manitoba landscapes. You won't want
to go to Toronto or Ontario generally any longer when you
see them.
Well, enough of this small talk.
Remember me to Mrs. Phelps, please; and
to Ann.
Yours,
F.P.G.
